Our Greek Evening!

Sunday, 1 June 2008

Last night we had two friends coming round for dinner, so I decided to have a Greek evening!

I had a go at making stuffed vine leaves as part of the Meze. There was a recipe on the back of the plastic pack the vines leaves came in - but me being me I washed the empty packet - I'm cooking remember and that packet has been in how many peoples hands....yuk!

So, the result was the recipe washed off the packet!

Oh dear! Good job I'd had a quick read first. Anyway, it was something like this:

Soak some long grain rice in boiling water for 5 minutes, rinse with cold water and drain.

Put the rice into a bowl and add chopped tomato, chopped onion, crushed dried mint, all spice, and ground cinnamon. Then add salt and pepper.

Then line a saucepan with some left over leaves (I think I had about 30 left) but I didn't want to make loads in case they turned out horrid, in any case they were only for a taster.

Where was I - lining the bottom of a saucepan with some leaves.....

Then put a small amount of the rice mixture into the center of the leaves and roll up. Place them on top of the leaves in the saucepan and cover with a mixture of olive oil, water and the juice of a lemon. Put a lid on and simmer for about 45 minutes.

Let them cool in the pan, then remove and serve cold.

It was something like that anyway!

Overall the verdict was good as we all ate them!

I got some Greek white wine too! (Retsina)

Olives with feta, those big beans in tomato sauce and some peppers stuffed with feta.

I made Pastitsio using this recipe but forgot to take a photo - so here is a picture from when I made it before! The only difference I do to that recipe is to use only one can of tomatoes, but add 200ml of red wine and two tablespoons of tomato puree.

It is the best Patitsio recipe ever. Many thanks once again Evelyn.

I made an individual bowl of Greek salad for everyone, but I made a really nice dressing following a recipe I'd seen in Rick Stein's book. Remember though, he was the one that made me put too much red wine vinegar in my Beef Stifado!.......So this time I was ready for him.

He said 1 tablespoon, I used only 1 teaspoon!

I made Rick Stein's salad dressing recipe from his Mediterranean Escapes book.

Left to right: Paul, Matthew and Caroline.

For dessert I made Galaktoboureko using this recipebyPeter of Kalofagas blog.

Thank you Peter for such an excellent and easy to follow recipe and for your help via email.

Ohh Jan, that all looks so delicious! Well done! I have always wanted to go to Greece, ever since I was a wee girl and saw Haley Mills in The Moonspinners. (my age is showing now)Hopefully one day I shall make it there, but for now I dream!